Safety device for railway gates



Dec. 4- 1,518,962

T. T. CHALONER SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY GATES Filed Aug. 15, 1924INVENTOR l Z I! Clzalorzer 24 I BY ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

PATENT )FHCE.

THOMAS T. GHALONEH, OF NEW? YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY Application filed August 13, 1924.

T (ZZZ whom. it may cancer/'1.

Be it known that I, THOMAS T. GHALONER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Satet-y Devices for Railway Gates, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The main object of this invention is to provide a device whichcooperates with the stopping control mechanism of a passing train whenthe railroad crossing gates are in lifted position. This is accomplishedby providing the train with an actuator arm which cooperates with. astationary automatic stopping lever mounted beside the track. Theautomatic stopping lever is manipulated into two positions, theinactive, in

which it does not contact with the actuator arm of the train and theactive position, in which it lies in the path of the train actuator, theformer position being assumed when the crossing gates are down orclosed, and the latter position when the gates are up or open. The mainpurpose of the device is therefore, to shut otli' the power source ofthe train and bring itto a stop before a crossing when the crossinggates are raised, autoi'natically and independently of the operator ofthe train.

This and other objects will become apparent in the description below. inwhich characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawing.

Referring briefly to the drawing. Figure 1 is an elevational view of agate crossing equipped with the device. the gates being shown in raisedor open position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the gates in closed position.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view showing the method of closingthe power source of a passing train by the automatic stopping lever.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the actu ator arm mounted on the train.

Figure 5 is a partially sectioned elevational view of the same.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the crank used for closing andopening the crossing gate and swinging the automatic stopping lever intoactive or inactive posi tion.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the bed ofa length Serial No. 731,693.

of railroad. A bed usually provides a base for a pair of parallel railssuch as are indi cated by the numeral 1]. At a position where a highwayintersects the railroad bed. a pair of pedestals and 1 5 are erectedpermanently on each. side of the track. Said pedestals are provided withopenings in which spindles are mounted. these spindles being used tosupport the crossing gates 14 and 15. it being noted that a single pairof crossing gates are shown on the drawing. but itmay not be necessarilylimited to this number. An. extension 16 projects from one of the endsof each crossing gate and in this end. a pin is mounted. The pedestal 12has an extension thereon which projects sidewise and serves as a supporttor pivot pins on which a right angle bell crank 17 is mounted. Thisbell. crank has a long arm and a short arm, the longer one having alongitudinal slot in which the pin projecting from member 16 ot thecrossing gate 14 is engaged. The opposite pedestal 13 has a similarprojection projecting sidewise therefrom and supports an obtuse anglehell crank 18. one arm of which is slotted to receive the pin extendingfrom the crossing gate 15. Adjacent the pedestal l3 is a bracket 19mounted permanently on the bed. This bracket supports a crank 20 havinghandle 21. The lower end of the crank 20 has one end of a pipe 22secured thereto. said pipe extending across both pedestals and havingthe free ends of the bell cranks '17 and 18 secured thereto. hllonnteosome distance awav from the pedestal 12 is a post 23 which is supportedon a base on the road bed 10 adjacent the track. This post has a rightangle extending arm which extends toward the rails 11 and pivotallv supports a normally vertical automatic stopping lever 26 which has itslonger end. extending downwardly. At the upper end of the post, a bellcrank 27 is pivotally mounted and one end of the bell crank is connectedto the short end of the automatic stop ing lever by a tie rod 28. inupstanding bracket 29 is mounted on the bed adjacent the post 23 andpivotally supports an obtuse bell crank 30 which has its longer armconnected. to the free end of the hell crank 27 bv a rod 31. To theremaining end of the bell crank 30, the end of the pipe 22 is. pivotallysecured.

In the majority of locomotives a stopping mechanismis usually providedwhich is connected to and cooperates with the shaft 32 which extendsdownwardly thru the rooi of the locomotive 33, said shaft being adaptedto actuate the stopping mechanism by rotating thru a small angle. Thestopping mechanism is not shown on the drawing as it does not form partof the invention. To the end of the shaft 32 which projects above theroof of the locomotive, an arm 34 extends angularly sidewise. The outerend of the arm has a longitudinal slot 35 therein in which an additionalarm 36 is pivoted on a pin 37, the latter arm being adapted to beengaged by the automatic stopping lever when the latter lies in the pathof said arm 36. The outer end of the arm 34 has a yoke 38 formed thereonwhich serves as a guide between which the arm 36 is movable and flatsprings 39 and LO mounted on each side of the arm 34 normally retain thearm 36 in central position with respect to the arm 34;

The crossing gates 1e and 15 may be lowered longitudinally bymanipulating the crank handle 21." When the crank 20 is rotated from theposition shown in Figure 1 or that in Figure 2, the rod 22 to which thebell cranks 17, 18, and 30, are connected is urged toward the post 23,thus lowering the crossing gates and rotating the automatic stoppinglever 26 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. The jointedarm 34 mounted on the train 33 will not contact with the automaticstopping lever when the latter is in the position shown in dotted'lines.If the crossing gates are for any reason permitted to remain in theraised position shown in Figure 1, and a train is approaching, theautomatic stopping lever 26 will lie in the position shown in full linesin Figure 3. As the jointed'arm 34: on the train 33 is at all times inthe posi tion shown in Figure 3, the automatic stopping lever will liein the path of the arm 36, and when said arm contacts with the automaticstopping lever, it will rotate the shaft 32 rearwardly to operate thestopping mechanism, thus stopping the train before it arrives at thecrossing. The actuator is constructed jointed so that the shock incidentto striking the automatic stopping lever 26 may be absorbed. As this hasoccurred the arm 36 is rotated again into alignment with the arm 34 thrueither of the springs 39 and 40 which serve as buffer members.

I claim 1. In the combination of a railroad crossing gate, closingmeans, and means for closing the source of power of a moving train. whenpassing a predetermined position. comprlsmg a pair of crossing gates,bell: cranks supported adjacent said gates and pivoted thereto, a pipeconnecting said bell cranks pivotally,' an additional crank, one

end of said pipe being secured to said crank, and means ascociated withthe pipe menr ber for co-operating with the train to close the source ofpower in said train.

2. In the combination of a railroad crossing gate, closing means, andmeans for closing the source of power of a moving train when passing apredetermined position comprising a pair oi? crossing gates, bell crankssupported adjacent said gates and pivoted thereto, a pipe connectingsaid bell cranks pivotally, an additional crank one end of said pipebeing secured to said crank, an upright post, an automatic stoppinglever pivotally mounted on said upright post, a bell crank on said post,a tie rod connecting the automatic stopping lever and bell crank, anadditional bell crank having one arm thereof connected to the pipemember and a rod connecting said lastnamed bell crank to the bell crankat the upper end of the post, said pipe when pulled being adapted torotate the automatic stopping lever, and a jointed arm on the trainbeing adapted to engage said automatic stopping lever and be rotatedthereto.

3. In the combination of a railway crossing gate, closing'means andmeans for closing the source of power of a moving train comprising apair of crossing gates, bell cranks connected to said gate ends, a postremoved from'said gates, an arm extending horizontally from said post, alever pivoted intermediate its length on said arm, a bell crank pivotedon said post, said bell crank being linked to the lever and the bellcranks operating the crossing gates, and a jointed arm on the trainbeing adapted to be moved by the lever when the latter is in engageableposition.

4. In the combination of a railway crossing gate, closing means andmeans for closing the source of power of a moving train comprising apair of crossing gates, bell cranks connected'to said gate ends, a postremoved from said' gates, an' arm extending horizontally from said post,a lever pivoted intermediate its length on said arm, a bell crankpivoted on said post, said bell crank being linked to the lever and the'bell cranks operating the crossing gates, a jointed arm on the traincomprising a downwardy inclined arm adapted to be rigidly mounted at theupperend of a pivoted shaft and being provided with a longitudinal slot,an additional arm pivoted in the slot of the first-named arm, a yokelimiting the movement of the last-named arm, and springs mounted on thesides of the firstnamed arm being adapted'to normally re-- tain thelast-named arm in central position;

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature. I

THOMAS T. GHALONER.

